Successful treatment with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide in a VEXAS syndrome patient with associated myelodysplastic syndrome: a case report and systematic review.

Vacuoles, E1 syndrome, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic (VEXAS) syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects various organ systems. It is associated with hematologic malignancies and is generally refractory to therapies. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) may be considered for selected patients. We report a case wherein systemic and hematological manifestations completely resolved in a patient with VEXAS and associated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), following the administration of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide as part of the preparation for allo-HSCT. We conducted a systematic literature review and included 86 patients with VEXAS syndrome and associated MDS. Most cases presented with musculoskeletal involvement (71%) and anemia (72%) with lower-risk MDS. Most patients responded to corticosteroids (CS) but had a recurrence of symptoms with CS taper and were refractory to other immunosuppressive agents. Hypomethylating agents and Janus kinase inhibitors achieved a complete response in some cases. Further research is needed to develop more effective treatment strategies.

Outcomes with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in TP53-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) in TP53-mutated myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). A literature search was performed on PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Clinicaltrials.gov. After screening 626 articles, eight studies were included. Data were extracted following the PRISMA guidelines and analyzed using the meta-package by Schwarzer et al. We analyzed 540 patients. The pooled median 3 (1-5) year overall survival was 21% (95% CI 0.08-0.37, I2=91%, n=540). The pooled relapse rate was 58.9% (95% CI 0.38-0.77, I2=93%, n=487) at a median of 1.75 (1-3) years. The pooled 4-year progression- free survival was 34.8% (95% CI 0.15-0.57, I2=72%, n=105). Outcomes of Allo-HSCT for TP53-mutated MDS patients remain poor, with 21% OS at three years; however, Allo-HSCT confers a survival advantage as compared to non-transplant palliative therapies. Our findings suggest the need to explore novel therapeutic agents in prospective clinical trials.